Fergus Falls grain elevator fire draws in more than 90 firefighters from six different departments; no injuries reported

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – A fire at the farmer’s grain elevator in Fergus Falls on Sunday evening called more than 90 firefighters from six lakes area departments into action to battle the blaze.

On Nov. 12 at 6:31 p.m., the Fergus Falls Fire Department responded to a reported flames at the Farmers Elevator, located on the 400 block of East Junius Avenue. 

Elizabeth and Underwood Fire Departments also responded immediately to the scene following a call for mutual aid. Flames could be seen by responding police and fire personnel from several blocks away.

Upon arrival, the grain dryer was engulfed in flames with fire impinging upon the wood constructed elevator. 

Crews from the first two engine companies established a water supply from a hydrant and began exposure protection of the elevator.

The ladder truck was deployed to conduct exposure protection of the upper reaches of the building. 

Mutual aid was also requested from Dalton, and additional ladder trucks from Breckenridge and Perham.

Initial smoke conditions were thick. 

Due to the quick water application, the fire was not able to expand from the dryer and into the wood constructed elevator; however, it took time and personnel to clear the dryer of burning contents. 

Mutual aid crews assisted with opening the bottom and middle sections of the dryer to flush the burning product out.

At the onset of the incident a Smart911 Alert was sent to residences downwind of the fire to shelter indoors due to the smoke conditions. The request was lifted after about 2 hours.

The Otter Tail Valley Railroad placed a hold on train traffic, as fire crews were working near the rail line.

Fergus Falls crews were on scene for 5 hours, with mutual aid departments clearing the scene after approximately 2 1/2 hours.

The Fergus Falls Fire Department responded with two engines, one ladder truck, one rescue truck and four command staff with mutual aid departments bringing an additional six engines, five water tenders, and two ladder trucks.

At the peak of the incident there were 90 firefighters on scene or at the ready in staging.

The cause of the fire was the result from drying soybeans and the fire appears to have been unintentional

No injuries were reported were reported at the scene by first responders.

Story by Dave Bishop / KBRF

Woman injured in two-motorcycle crash in Otter Tail County Sunday afternoon

A woman was injured in a crash involving two motorcycles on Highway 210 in Otter Tail County on Sunday afternoon.

On Nov. 12 at 3:21 p.m., a pair of Kawasaki motorcycles, driven by 65-year-old Brian Scott Sailor and 64-year-old Sandra Kay Sailor, both of Alexandria, were eastbound on Highway 210 when the bikes collided near the County Road 29 intersection in Fergus Falls.

Sandra Sailor suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the crash and was transported to Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls for treatment.

Both riders were wearing their helmets at the time of the crash and law enforcement believes alcohol did not factor into the incident.

Hankinson girl critically injured after being struck by passing train while riding a horse near Mandator

A 14-year-old girl is hospitalized in Fargo after the horse she was riding ran into a train southeast of Mandator.

Richland County Sheriff Gary Ruhl says the girl was flown to Sanford Medical Center by AirMed with critical injuries.

Ruhl says it happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sunday at a rail crossing. He says the horse may have been spooked by the train or the locomotive’s whistle. The train is owned by CP Rail.

The Mantador Fire Dept., Hankinson Ambulance, Breckenridge-Wahpeton Ambulance Service and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene. The girl’s name has not been released. She’s from rural Hankinson.

Story by Paul Jurgens / KFGO

Fargo man killed in wrong-way crash on Interstate 29 Sunday morning

A fatal head-on collision was reported early Sunday morning on Interstate 29, about 30 miles north of Fargo. 

On Nov. 12 at 12:33 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a wrong-way driver on the highway near mile marker 74. 

At 12:49 a.m. the pickup was still northbound in the southbound lanes and struck a semi head-on. The pickup came to rest on the outside shoulder of the southbound interstate, at mile marker 93, facing northwest. 

The semi, driven by a 28-year-old man and a 22-year-old male co-driver from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, came to rest in the median facing southeast. The driver of the pickup, 39-year-old Siemubonue Torh of Fargo, was pronounced dead at the scene.  The two men in the semi were uninjured. 

Multiple agencies responded. North Dakota Highway Patrol, Traill County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Ambulance Service, and Trail County Coroner’s Office.

The crash remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Story by Ashley Henley / KFGO

Cwikla’s Ace Hardware now open in Detroit Lakes; Santa and Mrs. Claus expected to appear in-store Nov. 24 with live reindeer

Cwilka Ace Hardware is now open in Detroit Lakes in the old JC Penney building on Washington Avenue.

The hardware store opened to customers in October and plans on being the local, community hardware store people can trust in the lakes area.

Jeff Cwilka, owner/operator of Cwilka’s Ace Hardware, said he’s been interested in buying the Detroit Lakes Ace Hardware for the past five years, but wanted to wait for the Beug family to tell him they were ready to retire, and that moment came earlier this year.

“I had started talking with those guys five years ago and they said they’d be ready to do something in five years and that’s what we did,” said Cwilka. “We waited for those guys’ retirement time and those guys wanted to retire and I bought them out. I bought their store and I obviously chose to liquidate the old store and start new over here. So, everything is new here in this place.”

After construction and remodel of their new location, the Ace Hardware Set Team setup the whole store from scratch in about six weeks.

“We started construction right when Penneys left at the first part of June,” he said. “All through the summer we did all of the construction and then on Sept. 5 when we took over the old store, our Set Team set the whole store and they were here for six weeks.”

And since they’ve been open, Cwilka said the customers have been extremely grateful and supportive of their new building and ownership.

“People have been extremely receptive and that’s been the cool part of it,” said Cwilka. “We’ve been getting thank yous out of so many people for just being here.”

Daniel Temple, store manager at Cwilka’s Ace Hardware, said they are always looking for team members to join their staff and management, specialist and full and part-time associate positions are available at competitive wages.

“Definitely still looking for an assistant manager and we’re hoping to get someone that knows the community and know the people in the community,” said Temple. “Me being new to it, I don’t know the people here, but we’re lucky to have Mark Beug, one of the former owners, on still who knows people. And that just helps. It helps make people feel comfortable and just knowing the right ways of business and who you are dealing with … we still need sales associates and we still need a paint specialist. That would be great to have someone who has a passion for paint. “

The new Ace Hardware also booked an important Christmas guest just in time for the holiday season. And then cashiers, we can always use them, part-time, full-time. That being said, we are trying to lean toward people who want more hours and weekend hours because we are looking to extend our hours and that’s what we need to be able to get to that point.”

Mister and Mrs. Claus will be visiting the new store on Friday, Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday and they will be bringing some live reindeer with them when they stop in Detroit Lakes.

“Mister and Mrs. Claus and the live reindeer, I think those are going to make a splash here,” said Temple. “It might not be our grand opening, but I’m guessing it’s going to make a splash.”

Minnesota hunters harvest more than 125,000 deer this season; slightly behind last year’s pace

While the second weekend of deer harvest numbers have yet to be tabulated, rifle season totals continue to be slightly behind last year.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says preliminary figures show 125,579 deer were taken over the last week and a half. That is down from just over 137,000 in 2022.

While bucks are liked by hunters as trophies, antlerless kills are preferred to manage the size of the herd. Over 45,000 does were bagged since November 4th, about 36% of the overall haul.

Numbers broken down by harvest area are only updated through Thursday, November 9th, but central Minnesota districts are faring well. Area 213, which includes Sauk Centre and Alexandria, was at 2,995 harvested. Area 215, covering most of Stearns and southern Morrison Counties, was at 2,590. Benton County is part of Area 221, which recorded 2,437.

Area 241, near Detroit Lakes, is the only district in the state to have eclipsed 3,000 deer before this past weekend.

Story by Grant Dossetto / KNSI